Men's Lacrosse | 2/13/2015 11:54:00 AM
Robert Morris Colonials (0-1, 0-0 NEC) vs. Bellarmine Knights (0-1, 0-0 ECAC)
Saturday, February 14, 2015 / Joe Walton Stadium –Moon Township, Pa. / 11:00 a.m.Scouting Bellarmine – Bellarmine opened up the season on the road last Saturday, falling to former conference foe Michigan, 16-9. Sophomore attack Austin Shanks led the Knights with a hat trick in the defeat, while classmate Jack Perkins added two goals and an assist. Senior face-off specialist Grant Beczkalo won seven of 19 draws at the dot against the Wolverines, while freshman goaltender Drew Goethals made 12 saves over the full 60 minutes in his collegiate debut.
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Against the Knights – Robert Morris is 3-6 against Bellarmine in its history, having dropped the last two meetings. The Colonials last earned a win over the Knights on Feb. 11, 2012, when hat tricks by Kiel Matisz and Jake Hayes guided RMU to a 9-8 victory. These two teams have been a familiar foe on each other's schedules as they have played each other in every season but one since 2005.
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On Deck – Robert Morris hits the road next weekend to begin a two-game road trip at Detroit. The Colonials have never lost to the Titans in their history, holding wins in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, and 2014. Four different players scored twice in the victory last season, including
Jacob Ruest, who led the team with two goals and two assists.
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Last Time Out – The Colonials fell behind by five goals early on Tuesday, ultimately suffering a 10-6 defeat in their season opener at Ohio State. RMU saw six different players tally goals, with
James Rahe and
Eric Wales registering two-point nights.
Chase Rose made 11 saves between the pipes in his collegiate debut.
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Preseason Predictions – Robert Morris was selected to finish fifth in the Northeast Conference this season, according to a poll of the league's head coaches. The Colonials have gained a reputation of outperforming its prediction, finishing second in 2013 and first in 2012 after being picked third in both preseason polls.
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Remember the First – Freshmen
Zachary Bryant and
Carter Yepsen as well as redshirt junior attack
Eric Wales scored their first career goals on Tuesday at Ohio State. Last season,
JonPatrik Kealey was the lone player to tally his first goal in the season opener as he collected a hat trick at Bellarmine.
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Terrific Trio – Robert Morris returns its top three scorers from a season ago in
Eric Rankel,
Luke Laszkiewicz, and
James Rahe. The junior trio combined for 64 goals, 37 assists, and 101 points in 2014. Rankel (first) and Rahe (second) earned All-NEC honors, while Laszkiewicz made the All-NEC Rookie Team in 2013.
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Brotherly Love – The Colonials have had a history of brothers playing together and this season is no different with three sets on the roster. The Gibsons (Leighton and Marshall), Wales (Eric and Mitchell), and Yepsens (Carter and Conner) make up the RMU family who are actually family. The last time the Colonials have not had a set of brothers on their roster was in the 2010 season.
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Travelin' Men – Robert Morris is scheduled to play in eight different states this season, tying a school record set in its inaugural season of 2005 and in 2011. The Colonials will stay in the Keystone State for seven games with home contests and a trip to Philadelphia. RMU will also visit Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, and Rhode Island during the 2015 campaign.
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New Faces – The Colonials welcome 16 freshmen and a junior college transfer to the program in 2015. In addition, RMU also will be guided by two new assistant coaches in
Travis Harrington and
Robert Marasti. Harrington is a 2012 graduate of Bryant and previously coached at Seton Hill. Marasti is an alumnus of the program, having played for the Colonials from 2008 to 2011.
